Complementary acting valves for recirculating fluid distribution apparatus



April 4, 1967 F. E. BO ER COMPLEMENTARY ACTING VAL FOR R IRQULAT FLUID DISTRIBUT APPAR S Filed Dec. 1964 3,312,243 ING 4 'INVENTOR.

FIN/5 E. BOO/(ER ATTURWHEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,312,243 Patented Apr. 4, 1967' 3,312,243 COMPLEMENTARY ACTING VALVES FOR RECIR- CULATING FLUID DIflTRIBUTlON APPARATUS Finis E. Booker, R0. Box 162, Eloy, Ariz. 85231 Filed Dec. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 415,372 2 Claims. (Cl. 137-609) My invention relates to an apparatus for the control of fluid flow, and more particularly to an apparatus for the control of fluid flow in a recirculating system.

Many normally unstable fluid emulsions, suspensions or the like such as agricultural sprays, coating materials, asphalt emulsions or the like are carried in a supply tank and applied or distributed by means of pipe or other conduit means. These materials may tend to settle out of suspension or even, in the case of asphalt, set up in the supply tank.

One method of maintaining a fluid material substantially uniform in composition and preventing settling out of the fluid suspension is by recirculating a portion thereof to the storage means, thereby to continually agitate and mix the fluid material. An example of such a recirculation method is taught in my issued U.S. Patent 3,143,295 which relates to agricultural sprays.

When recirculation means are employed, control of pressure in the delivery line is usually very difficult. Up to the present time, no satisfactory apparatus has been suggested which would allow substantially positive control over delivery pressure in a recirculating system.

It is an object of my invention to provide an apparatus which will permit substantially positive control over delivery pressures in continuous fluid recirculatory systems.

It is another object of my invention to provide fluid flow control apparatus Which is relatively simple to operate.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art in the course of the following specification and claims when taken with the accompanying drawings in Which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation taken along 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation taken along 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating another embodiment of my invention.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a fluid flow control apparatus comprising cooperating valve means with appropriate plumbing, tubing or the like. My cooperating valve means comprises a pair of valve portions, a delivery valve portion 10, and a recirculation valve portion 11, which are positioned so as to have a common operating means such as a lever or handle 12. Action or function of the valves is complementary so that when one valve is opening the other valve is closing, and vice versa. In a recirculating system, it is desirable that the recirculation line 14 through the recircultaing valve 11 is always at least partially open. When the delivery line 15 is closed ofli, of course, the recirculation line 14 is desirably wide open. Thus, to provide a two-position control, it is desirable that the operating handle 12 in one position close the delivery valve and open the recirculation valve 11, and While in the other position the operating lever 12 partially opens the delivery valve 10 while partially closing the recirculation valve 11. In order to maintain a recirculation valve 11 at least partially open at all times, a stop or calibration means 16 is provided. This stop or calibration means 16 is preferably adjustable so that varying pre-determined pressures may be obtained at the delivery point.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 is directed to an apparatus useful for agricultural spraying. A pair of brass flapper valves are employed as valve means. Mounting of the flapper valves is such that their respective stems 35 and 36 are substantially coaxial and their operating levers extend in substantially parallel closelyspaced relationship. Operating levers are joined as by a nut and bolt 18 therethrough in order to produce the single operating lever 12. Valve bodies are joined by means of a cross fitting 19. The cross fitting 19 has an input pressure line 20 and a pressure gauge 22 attached thereto. Thus, the pressure line communicates independently with the input sides of both valves. The delivery valve communicates by means of the delivery line 15 comprising pipe and elbow fittings with a spray nozzle 23. The output side of the recirculation valve 11 communicates with the storage tank by means of recirculation line 14.

I To facilitate control of the delivery pressure and maintain recirculation, a stop or calibrator means 16 is provided. In the embodiment shown, a ring bolt threadedly engages the unitary operating handle 12 and when the handle 12 is in its desired uppermost position, the threaded end 24 of the ring bolt contacts the cross fitting 19 and prevents the handle 12 from traveling further upward. Threaded engagement of the ring bolt with the handle is procured by welding a threaded nut between the two lever members. A dual benefit is thus obtained in that the handle members also are welded together to insure co-action.

In operation, but before spraying, the operating lever 12 is moved to its downwardmost position, thus closing the delivery valve 10 and fully opening the recirculation valve 11. A pump is employed to force fluid from the storage means into the cross fitting 19 by means of the pressure input line 20. Fluid exits the flow control apparatus through the open recirculation valve 11.

To spray, the operating handle 12 is raised to the upwardmost position permitted by the stop or calibrator 16. Fluid entering the cross fitting then divides, with a portion of the fluid passing through the partially opened delivery valve 10 and thus to the spray nozzle 23, the remainder of the fluid continuing to recirculate.

The pressure valve 22 mounted in the cross fitting registers the pressure under Which the fluid is being sprayed. By adjusting the calibrator or stop 16, the spray pressure may be closely controlled. The gauge, of course, does none of the actual controlling but is useful as a visual indicator of the pressure. The gauge may be dispensed with, if desired, once the desired operating pressure has been set by means of the stop or calibrator 16.

Operation of the embodiment of my invention shown in FIG. 4 is the same in principle as the embodiment illustrated in detail in FIGS. 1-3, although the plumbing arrangement is somewhat different. The fluid pressure line 20 communicates with the input sides of the valves by means of a T-joint 26. Delivery valve 11 is connected to the leg of the T. A linkage 27 connects the valve handles or levers 28 to provide co-action, thus closing delivery valve 11 when recirculation valve 10 opens and vice versa. In this embodiment, the stop or calibrator means 30 is mounted on the piping, rather than on the operating handle itself.

If desired, the flow control apparatus, including both delivery and recirculation valves, may be in a single housing. The valves may be of any appropriate type. Non-limiting examples of valves which may be employed in my apparatus are flutter valves, ball valves, plug cock valves, butterfly valves and the like.

Both of the embodiments shown in the drawings have been successfully employed for the distribution of agricultural sprays of the type which must be recirculated to prevent a settling out or coagulation thereof. Excellent control of the spray pressure is obtained as Well as continuous recirculation.

My flow control apparatus is particularly Well-suited for use in combination with the recirculatory agricultural spray apparatus taught in my issued United States Patent No. 3,143,295. In such a combination, recirculation of the aqueous liquid spray is maintained with positive control over delivery pressures. The simple, two-position operation of my flow control apparatus permits operation by persons having little or no manipulative skill and is thus advantageous over other, more complicated systems.

Various modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof and it is to be understood that I limit myself only as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Flow control apparatus comprising complementary acting delivery and recirculation valves having stems, said valves communicating with a fluid input line and positioned with the stems of said valves in substantially co-axial relationship, said valves having lever operating means joined to provide a substantially unitary common operating means, and calibration means engaging said operating means whereby said recirculation valve is maintained at least partially open.

2. Flow control apparatus comprising a pair of complementary acting flapper valves having stems and being References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 134,348 12/1872 Birkinbine 137-609 X 1,169,177 1/1916 Mettler 137-609 X 1,213,639 1/1917 Henley 137-609 X 1,668,309 5/1928 Etnyre 239-127 2,500,304 3/1950 Williams 137-609 X 3,001,720 9/1961 Cartwright 239-127 X 3,143,295 8/1964 Booker 239-142 FOREIGN PATENTS 525,838 2/1954 Belgium.

M. HENSON WOOD, .TR., Primary Examiner.

V. C. WILKS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. FLOW CONTROL APPARATUS COMPRISING COMPLEMENTARY ACTING DELIVERY AND RECIRCULATION VALVES HAVING STEMS, SAID VALVES COMMUNICATING WITH A FLUID INPUT LINE AND POSITIONED WITH THE STEMS OF SAID VALVES IN SUBSTANTIALLY CO-AXIAL RELATIONSHIP, SAID VALVES HAVING LEVER OPERATING MEANS JOINED TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY UNITARY COMMON OPERATING MEANS, AND CALIBRATION MEANS ENGAGING SAID OPERATING MEANS WHEREBY SAID RECIRCULATION VALVE IS MAINTAINED AT LEAST PARTIALLY OPEN. 